1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image data communicating apparatus which can store image data into a flexible memory (hereinafter, referred to generically as a floppy disc but also including such other devices as diskettes, mini floppy discs, micro floppy discs and the like).
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in an image data communicating apparatus for transmitting or receiving image data through a wire or in a wireless manner, there is a case where a floppy disc drive is provided in addition to an image memory comprising an integrated circuit (hereinafter, referred to as an IC) for temporary storage of communication data. The apparatus is operated in accordance with a flowchart for the receiving operation shown in FIG. 1.
That is, when the image reception is started, the presence or absence of a recording sheet is discriminated in step S1. If no recording sheet exists, step S2 follows and a check is made to see if the received image memory is full or not. If YES in step S2, step S3 follows, and a check is made co see if there is remaining recording capacity on the floppy disc or not. If YES in step S3, that is, if the reception data can be recorded onto the floppy disc, step S4 follows, and the reception data is recorded onto the floppy disc. After completion of the reception in step S5, step S6 follows, and subsequent processing is executed. If a recording sheet exists in step S1, however, step S7 follows, and ordinary reception and recording of the data onto the recording sheet is executed. If the received-image memory is not full in step S2, step S8 follows, and the reception data is stored into the received-image memory. A new recording sheet is supplied later, and the stored reception data is recorded onto the recording sheet. If there is no remaining recording capacity on the floppy disc in step S3, step S9 follows, and an error processing is executed.
The apparatus also has therein: a communication data memory necessary for the above operation; a memory to store a communication result or the like, namely, what is called management data; and a clock IC to inform the time and date to the operator by means of a display or the like.
In the above conventional image data communicating apparatus, however, the reception data is recorded and received onto the floppy disc only when there is no recording sheet, there is no remaining capacity in the image memory, and there is remaining capacity on the floppy disc.
As mentioned above, in many cases, the floppy disc is used as an auxiliary memory of the image memory which is ordinarily constructed by an IC memory. This is because accessing time required to access the floppy disc is much slower than the accessing time for the IC memory, since a seeking operation of the like is needed when accessing the floppy disc.
The floppy disc is generally accessed only when memory reception and storage on the floppy disc is performed and when the user supplies a recording sheet into the facsimile apparatus after completion of the memory reception and, thereafter, reads out the stored data from the floppy disc.
Therefore, in general, the floppy disc is not accessed when recording sheets are present or when there is remaining space in the image memory. Thus, there is also a case where the floppy disc is not accessed for long periods of time such as a few months or a few years in an extreme case.
In such a case, if the floppy disc and a head are held in a state in which they are stopped at the same contact point, there can easily occur accidents such that the head and the floppy disc adhere to each other, a deformation such as a warp or the like is caused in the floppy disc, data is destroyed, and the like.